In the Midst of Shame (New Edition) - Petulia Blake

Society is seen through the lenses of Hope Livingston, a woman whose birth is shrouded in secrecy. While in exile, she talks about her life as a white Creole woman born on the island of St. James in the West Indies. Against the wishes of Angela, her personal slave, Hope fantasies about becoming a sugar cane plantation owner. The indignity of slavery is placed in the background as she aspires to find a prominent place in society at all costs. In an industry dominated by men like Master Livingston, who scorns the idea of women governing in the lucrative sugar industry, Hope joins forces with Gloria Hanover, the most influential plantation owner on the island. Hope becomes immersed in a lifestyle where sexual deviance, desire for status and cruelty, are guided by her idol. The unleashing of fear upon black people manifested with beatings as a powerful means to dominate. Little did they know that the subservience was a facade. Amid the frequent Maroon rebellions and resistance to slavery, social uncertainty begins to seep into the lives of the privileged and prideful class. When the reliance on free labor begins to collapse, secrets find their way out of the closets. And Hope's life begins to turn upside down when dry bones refuse to remain hidden behind great house walls.